Coaches of Athletics Legend Katarina Johnson-Thompson Honoured with 2024 Coaching Chain Award

From a promising high jump talent at age four to a two-time world champion and Olympic silver medallist, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (KJT) has become a defining figure in British athletics. Now, the coaches who supported her journey are being celebrated with the 2024 UK Coaching Chain award, which celebrates the importance of progressive person-centred coaching, and the continuous dedicated support and time invested in athletes throughout their careers. 

The award will be presented at the UK Coaching Awards on Tuesday 10 December, honouring the coaches whose guidance, expertise, and encouragement helped shape Katarina into one of the world’s most accomplished and resilient athletes. 

The coaches being recognised within Katarina’s chain are Richard Coakley, Jo Hardiman, Gayle Gilbert, Stephen Carroll, Stan Roberts, Val Rutter, Mike Holmes, Jean-Yves Cochand, Betrand Valcin, Bruno Gajer and Aston Moore.  

Athletics has been part of Katarina’s life from a very early age. Growing up in Liverpool, her first coach, Richard Coakley, recognised her potential early on. As Deputy Head Teacher at St Mark’s Primary School, he noticed her natural talent in high jump, aged just 4. Encouraging her to develop her skills, he laid the foundation for her athletic career. 

At 11, Katarina moved to St Julie’s High School, where she met former PE teacher, Jo Hardiman, who quickly recognised her potential beyond jumping. Around this time, she began the six-mile journey from her home in Halewood to Liverpool Harriers’ base in Wavertree Park to train. Her first coach there, Gayle Gilbert, spotted her talent in high jump early on, once telling fellow coaches, “This girl’s good.” 

From age 12 to 18, Katarina trained under several coaches at Liverpool Harriers, each leaving a lasting impact on her career. Stephen Carroll, now President of Liverpool Harriers, focussed on improving her sprints, while Stan Roberts, who sadly passed away in 2021, honed her jumping technique. Val Rutter later guided her shift from high jump to multi-event training, recognising her ability to excel in running as well. 

At Liverpool Harriers, Katarina began working with Mike Holmes, whose guidance helped her rise in the senior ranks. Holmes led her to notable achievements, including World Youth and European Under-23 heptathlon titles, and a World Junior long jump gold in 2012. At just 19, KJT competed in the London Olympics, finishing 15th. Though the result wasn’t all she had hoped for, she went on to claim a European Indoor Pentathlon title and a fifth-place finish at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. 

A turning point came in 2016 when Katarina moved to France aged 23, seeking further success under a new team. She worked with Jean-Yves Cochand, who, along with coaches Bertrand Valcin and Bruno Gajer, transformed her training. Cochand focused on refining her techniques in shot put and javelin, adjusted her jump run-ups, and emphasised smaller, more frequent sessions. The new approach led to multiple World, European, and Commonwealth medals, as well as British records in the heptathlon and pentathlon. During this time, she also set a World Record in the heptathlon high jump. 

As Cochand moved toward retirement, Katarina transitioned to training with Bruno Gajer who worked with her on her 800m, and Bertrand Valcin, who was already known for coaching decathlete Kevin Mayer. Valcin’s patience and belief in Katarina played a crucial role in her comeback after the 2016 Olympics. Under Valcin’s guidance, she claimed gold at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and also won gold at the World Indoors, European Indoors, and Commonwealth Games. Valcin helped Katarina become a world champion and a contender for Olympic success. 

Now based in Loughborough, Katarina works with Aston Moore, who began coaching her in 2023. Moore’s challenge has been helping Katarina recover from an Achilles rupture in her left leg that impacted her long jump ability, while strengthening her throwing events and instilling a sense of calm and focus. The culmination of this was winning a second World Championships title in Budapest in 2023 and a Silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics under Moore’s mentorship and guidance.